IDA helps out Greene theater group

NORWICH – A young, not-for-profit theater company in the Village of Greene has garnered assistance from the Chenango County Industrial Development Agency in order to shoulder possible environmental-related liability costs.

The IDA agreed last week to serve as a conduit for and co-applicant with The Chenango River Theater in the event that state Environmental Restoration Program funds are needed. ERP funds are available to public agencies for hazardous waste remediation, and would be applied to afford any state mandated clean-up.

The theater company is currently leasing a 19,000 square-foot building that it renovated two years ago under a right-to-purchase agreement. The building, and adjacent 11 acres, is owned by the Page Seed Company. However, due to a chemical spill there 19 years ago, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation flagged the pending change of ownership application in order to investigate for possible trichloroethene (TCE) contamination.

Before leasing it, the Chenango River Theater contracted for environmental testing on the interior of the building and the surrounding land. No contamination was found. The actual spill site was previously remediated according to state standards.